The Answer
by renuya
Summary: When missions go wrong and people turn suicidal, Sakura needs to know why. She needs to find a purpose and for some reason, she has a feeling the answer lies within Uchiha Itachi. ItaSaku, rated for language later in the story.
1. Default Chapter

The Answer

**Author's Notes:** An ItaSaku? I couldn't resist. After reading all of the manga chapters available in Japan and watching a good portion of the anime, I was fairly surprised to find that I didn't even know what a Fanfiction was. After reading a few, I came across the wonderful, wonderful world of ItaSaku. And for those of you who haven't heard of that pairing yet, I'd like to introduce you, because it is my hope that it will capture many of your hours the same as it has mine.

Since this is technically my first story, I want you to know that the crappyness of it shouldn't make ItaSaku any less great. If you want to read a _real_ ItaSaku, leafygirl has a really great one, called "Loophole".

**Summary/Preview:** When missions go wrong and people turn suicidal, Sakura needs to know why. She needs to find a purpose; and for some reason, she has a feeling the answer lies within Uchiha Itachi. ItaSaku, rated for language.

**Disclaimer: **Unfortunately, hell no.

* * *

_They hadn't had time to prepare. _People were dead now, and there was nothing they could do. Tsunade had thought their plan to be flawless, but she was wrong. Kakashi was wrong, everybody was wrong. Too many of Konoha's good Shinobi had rushed in too soon. 

Sakura could hardly hear the orders being called over the roars of pain and the clashing of kunai. War zones had never been her thing, and she knew that now.

Naruto was busy trying his luck with one of the enemy strategists, and Kakashi was leading a group of Konoha's top Nin. Sakura knew from the moment they were all assigned this mission that they were bringing death upon themselves, but something inside herself told her not to believe it.

This was real. Dozens of people were dying by the minute, and all for the sake of power. Tsunade had ordered them to track the Akatsuki and take them on for everything the village was worth; It was becoming too dangerous to have them running around wherever they pleased, taking some of Konoha's talented ones when the opportunity arose.

So here they all were. Being slaughtered.

She knew Kakashi was yelling at her, knew there was someone behind her. But she didn't care anymore. She didn't care about anything, because there was nothing left to live for.

Sakura could see Kakashi's lips moving as he yelled for Naruto, who was closest. But as the blonde's head turned, a kunai was instantly plunged into his stomach, forcing him to resume fighting. He shot Kakashi a mixture of fear and apology. What a strange combination, indeed.

Sakura knew nobody was coming to save her from this fairy tale from hell. She knew what was going on. She **knew**, but something inside her just didn't click. She wanted to move, to get out of the way before the heavy blow waiting behind her connected to the back of her head. But she couldn't. It was like she was frozen in time, defenseless and vulnerable to soon becoming non-existent. _Noo_, she didn't want to die! She wanted to move, she wanted to move!

And then the darkness came, so suddenly she hadn't even sensed it.

* * *

The Copy Nin knew that Naruto couldn't get to Sakura in time, perhaps he had known even before he ordered it. But it was a wish…an ungranted, weak little wish. Wishes weren't a part of war. 

He thrust his fist into the throat of the man he was fighting, sending him to his knees choking. Trying to get to Sakura away wouldn't be easy; she was too far in the distance for him to even get a good glimpse of her. She was a Medic Nin, the plan was to keep her hidden. Maybe the plan worked a little bit too well. _Maybe that was another flaw in their so-called perfect plan._

He hated when things were like this. He hated the fact that the number of people he had lost would soon be running into the double digits. He hated a lot of things right now, but there was nothing he could do.

Kakashi knew the day would come when he would be outmatched again, just as it had come many times before. When Kakashi was too weak to save his teammates, the enemy surpassed him. When his students had aspired to become stronger, two of the three ventured past his limit. The list could go on, but he didn't feel like remembering something as bitter as failure.

Failure sent an odd taste into his mouth, a taste he hoped he wouldn't ever have to come across again. Maybe he should die, and end it all here. Maybe.

* * *

The blonde was lost within the battle. Too many people were targeting him, probably hoping to at least capture the Kyuubi if they weren't able to beat the rest. 

Kakashi was frozen, and Sakura was down for the count, unconscious somewhere. He could see her, laying on the ground face first. She looked safe, but the number of enemies around her absolutely terrified him. There were more after her than even himself. How was that possible? How many members did the Akatsuki _have_?

As the color drained from his face, something told him that he just didn't feel like fighting anymore. He couldn't find the will to help Sakura, not even the will to someday become Hokage. This was suicide, it was. He couldn't beat the odds, and for the first time in his life, he just wanted to give up.

* * *

Sakura felt blind. She knew people were closing in all around her, and the amount of chakra and radiated anger she felt told her that these people were not her friends. But she couldn't see. 

It was…different. She felt awake but knew she wasn't. And then finally, she could see. She could make out the pristine white outline of people that were still fighting, but everything still seemed so dark. If she was unconscious, was this a dream?

Nothing made sense, and yet it did. This could be a Genjutsu; although she wasn't sure it was possible to put somebody that was already out cold into a series of illusionary techniques. Then again…if somebody was using the Sharingan, or another Kekkei Genkai…

Damn. There were way too many variables for anything to be known for sure.

And suddenly the ghostly looking people disappeared. The darkness was still there, and Sakura was positive she was still standing. Then she saw blood, little crimson droplets hailing down from the dark, seamless sky. The blood made a trail, and the pink haired Kunoichi, for some reason, knew she was supposed to follow it.

* * *

Kakashi watched in shock. Naruto was quitting, and it was already too late for Sakura. Nothing seemed right with the world…like it wasn't real. Like it hadn't been what fate had planned. 

But it must have been.

And then, just as Kakashi managed to catch a glimpse of a dark ponytail, the darkness overpowered him too.

* * *

Sakura froze when the trail came to an end. There was another being there, with hair as dark as the rest of the crazy world, and a long cloak, decorated with menacing red clouds. When he looked at her, Sakura could have fainted. 

_That was Sasuke's face._

But…no. Sasuke did not possess the Mangekyou. Did he?

The cold expression on his face soon turned to a satisfied smirk. That was a trademark Uchiha smirk, Sakura was sure of it. But maybe it wasn't Sasuke's. Maybe…just maybe, this could be something more.

"Sasuke?" She choked anyway.

The smirk on the man's face remained indifferent, but something in his eyes changed as if to tell her the answer. _No._

* * *

**(A/N) **Darn… I had intended for this first chapter to be much, much longer, but I suppose I've worn my brain out too much this week. Maybe I'll try again for a second chapter, tomorrow. 

Please review anyway, as it would really help me out.

Thanks!  
-Love Kad


	2. Vaguer than Possible

**Author's Notes: **I didn't get as many reviews as I'd have hoped for, but then again, I made this story just yesterday. I suppose fifty hits in twelve hours isn't too shabby, although I'd like to double that number with this next chapter, if that's possible.

This second chapter may be used as the first for some of you who care nothing of the plotline and merely want some ItaSaku action, although I wouldn't recommend it. Also, I'm aware of who Sasori and Deidara are, but rather or not they shall appear in this little ficlet of mine remains undecided.

**Disclaimer: **I wish. T.T

* * *

Why was it so…cold all of a sudden? Was this what stone began to feel like after a few hours? The flooring was hard, the spaces between the tiles digging into Sakura's backside. Damn it… 

Her hands had been bound tightly underneath her, creating a very uncomfortable position to be lying in. The back of one wrist had been bound to the bottom of the other, restricting the blood flow by a great amount as her knuckles dug into said wrist on either side.

She hated being vulnerable like this, not knowing what was going on. All she remembered was the blood raining down, and then that _man_. Was he connected to Sasuke at all?

When at last she found the strength to open her eyes, she saw that she was indeed locked inside a cell, and a very small one at that. Not only was the ground covered in stone, but also the walls. The room was quite bare, even without windows or lighting. The only thing that remotely interested her or stood out to her at all was the big steel door, barring her escape.

If only she had just a little more chakra, she could get out of here. But for some reason, she felt like something had sucked all of her strength away, like a magnet or a vacuum. But that was impossible…right?

Well, perhaps there was the chance of somebody performing the Chakra Kyuuin no Jutsu, but the pink haired Kunoichi already knew the limit of that attack, and this…this _emptiness_ was something greater. Something stronger.

Her thinking was interrupted by the loud screeching of that certain door opening. Her tired jade eyes darted to the entranceway, spotting someone new.

He was very large, humongous even. Grey-tinged skin, creepy eyes, and…gills? Okay, that was something she didn't see every day. Sakura inwardly shuddered. He carried a small tray of food with him, and looked none too happy about it. His gaze refused to meet Sakura's as he dropped the tray on the floor in front of her.

"How am I supposed to…?" Sakura asked weakly.

The shark man said nothing, but bent down and easily ripped away the ropes that bound Sakura. The pink haired Kunoichi tried to thank him, but his gaze still wouldn't meet hers.

"You look…miffed about something." She said.

He scoffed in angry reply and then turned his large body right out the door again. Sakura shrugged and rubbed her wrists, trying to get the mixture of blood and chakra flowing in them again. They were red and irritated, and stung like hell. But she'd never admit it.

Her jade orbs turned their attention to the food, spotting an apple and some soup, accompanied by a tall glass of liquid. Grape juice? She couldn't tell. A shaking hand reached out to grab the glass, brining it to her mouth as she closed her eyes in anticipation. To her surprise, it tasted fine. Nothing seemed to be wrong with it…but there _were_ poisons out there that could be slipped into an opaque drink.

Sakura shook her head and then reached for the apple. It was golden, that special kind that her family always liked to buy in the summer. She smiled, happy for small miracles, and then took a juicy bite. The apple was rather hard, but it tasted nice all the same.

A little bit of juice trickled from either corner of her mouth, and she wiped it all away with the hem of her borrowed shirt. For the next little while, all she focused on was that apple. Golden, like…Naruto's hair.

_Naruto_…

* * *

The usual hyper blonde had been left to pace around the area when the enemy retreated. He hadn't seen Sakura in a while, and he was pretty sure that Neji and TenTen had also been on the frontline in this mission.

He looked up when he heard footsteps approaching, but kept pacing anyway.

"Naruto," It was Kakashi. Always a good sign, he mused.

"The head count has been completed…" His sempai said uneasily.

"Well?" He asked impatiently.

"Sakura is unaccounted for." Kakashi said, wincing.

"_Fuck this!_" Naruto cursed, punching the nearest tree. It blew apart into tiny pieces, too many for the human eye to count as they fell. They landed scattered on the ground, and Kakashi suddenly found them very interesting. After all, looking into Naruto's eyes when he was angry was a foolish idea. Not even he, Hatake Kakashi himself, cared to push his luck that far today. He was already physically drained, and inside he was rather pissed off.

"What are we just waiting around for!" Naruto yelled, "Lets go find her already!"

"Genma and I have already looked; the Akatsuki cover their trail too well." Kakashi said firmly.

"So does this mean we're just _giving up_?"

"No. Never. We _will_ find Sakura, but until then, we need to go and make sure that Tsunade is aware of all of this." Kakashi replied.

Naruto still looked angry, and the silver haired Jounin could tell that his pupil was nearing the point where his special seal would activate—It hadn't done that since before Sasuke left. If Kakashi was one thing, it was observant. The seal's strength worked much like the seal that Sasuke possessed, in the sense that it only remained intact if the vessel's will was strong. Once one gave up hope, the seal would break. Of course, there were also other variables, like personal fatigue and current emotion. Whoever said life was written out in bold letters?

* * *

Sakura continued to think about everyone back in Konoha until her thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the door. She may not have even noticed it, had she not been facing the door already.

She hesitated before standing up, only to fall once again. "Uh...C-come in?" She yelled uncertainly.

Her eyes widened when she saw that same _man_ again. She would have claimed he was Sasuke, but she knew better this time.

"…Who…?" She began slowly.

Before she even had time to blink, he was right in front of her.

'His movement…'

"Are you inured?" He asked curiously, after observing her features for a moment. His dark ponytail fell over his shoulder as he turned his head. He didn't really sound like he cared, he only wanted to know. To be in control.

Sakura had been about to answer, until the man's hand shot out and grabbed one of her wrists. She hadn't noticed until she felt the skin on skin contact.

"Let go of me or I'll…I'll uh…I'LL KILL YOU!"

He ignored her and began feeling the tender bits of skin that had been ripped at the time that the rope was applied. The cuts had only grown deeper when Kisame had ripped the binds off earlier. Sakura flinched from his touch, even though it felt nice. His touch was so soft…so gentle. But still, he _was_ a killer; she'd do well to keep that in mind.

She wrenched her arm from his grasp and blew on it in an attempt to ease the searing pain. God, it felt like he broke her arm or something! "Who are you?" She asked coldly.

He didn't answer right away, as he had now grabbed her opposite wrist and was examining it. He, of course, already knew that she was a healer, but maybe Kisame had been a tad bit overly assertive this time. Sakura felt the heat of chakra pushing its way under her skin every time he touched her. She wanted to kill him every time she felt that strange sensation, and silently found herself wondering if normal people felt this way whenever _her _chakra violated them.

"My name by birth was Uchiha Itachi, but I no longer hold bonds to my family, nor did I ever when they were among the living, Sakura."

Funny…Sakura didn't remember giving her name. But then again, she didn't remember being brought here, either.

"What?" She asked, completely caught off guard.

"My family members are all deceased." Itachi said.

"I'm…sorry." Uchiha…he must be Sasuke's elder. But that meant that he was also the one who had killed them all. Of course. Honestly, didn't killers hold even the slightest remorse these days? "Don't you feel bad about…what you did?" She continued.

"Should I? We are Shinobi, each of us a killer. Knowing the victim does not change the circumstances."

"Prick." She didn't know what to think now, but could somehow feel Itachi smiling—no, _smirking_. She forgot; Uchiha don't smile.—under his cloak.

"You are a hypocrite, Sakura. Can you honestly tell me that you have never killed an acquaintance in the line of duty?" He said.

Sakura looked down, feeling the slightest tinge of heat possible in her cheeks. Why did she feel so stupid in front of people like him? It was the same with everyone stronger than her: Kakashi, Shizune, Tsunade…even Naruto, sometimes. And that was pretty sad.

Itachi's smirk seemed to grow.

"What? What's wrong with you all of a sudden?" Sakura asked nervously.

The Uchiha prodigy didn't reply, but she knew what he meant just by looking at him. "Why am I here?" She asked quietly.

"Details come later." Sakura decided not to ask what he meant by that.

When he, that…jerk, was finished with her wrists, he looked down at the unfinished tray of food.

"We didn't poison it." He said softly, staring at the soup that remained untouched.

Sakura laughed nervously. "Want some?"

Itachi's Sharingan turned to look at her again and Sakura gazed into them. The kaleidoscope wheel was new to her; she'd never seen a true Mangekyou before, although she knew that her old sensei had acquired it recently. The beauty of the Sharingan was unmatched in her opinion, because she loved that deep, deep shade of red.

Sakura blinked. "Gomen…I…I didn't mean to stare."

Itachi remained expressionless. 'Is he that much like Sasuke?' The pink haired girl wondered. Maybe for now—just for a little while—she'd stay and find out. After all, she didn't even know what they wanted her for yet, right? They probably already knew she was a healer, but hadn't mentioned it yet. Maybe it had slipped someone's mind? No; with an organization that housed a member as intelligent as Uchiha blood lived up to be, their leader must be quite a character.

And surely there were other members…?

* * *

**(A/N) **Blech, still not nearly as long as I'd have liked. Oh well, I promise to make the next couple chapters extra long for you guys. …And for myself, but only since it bothers me that this is the most I can write. The third chapter will probably jump ahead about a month or so, just so you know. And it may take me more than a week to update this time, because my dad doesn't own a computer at his house. Sorrrrry.

Thanks for reading!

-Love from Kad, (who also hopes you'll review for her.) xD


	3. Ground Rules

**Author's Notes: **Review, review. xD You have no _idea_ how much it bothers me that I have so many hits and almost no reviews. I've got a friend who has over four thousand hits on a story of hers, and _still_ has almost no reviews. Lets just say I don't want mine like that, shall we?

I know, I've got like seven hundred hits…but still. It bothers me so much!

**Disclaimer: **Must I?

* * *

How long had it been, a week, a month? Too long. _Or not long enough? _No, she couldn't start thinking like that. She had to go home. She wanted to go home. She _needed_ to go home…just, not yet. 

The healing for Kisame would continue. Although she had already tried healing him a few times during her visit here, it was to no avail. Naruto was just too good. But that left her to wonder what 'other things' she was needed for. Rather creepy, actually.

Sakura stared across the room at the ugly cloak that had been set aside for her. It was like the ones everyone else here wore, but it had no clouds on it. Hers was blank…just as dark as the others, but blank. She wondered what the clouds meant anyway. Some days, Itachi would wear one without clouds. On others, the little ornate designs covered almost every inch of his cloak.

Now she had two—more like two hundred—questions that she needed answers for. The list went on…she needed to know everything about the Uchiha brothers or she would never be satisfied. Curiosity killed the cat, but nobody ever said it had an effect on humans, now did they? Maybe she'd ask _that_ question, just to see what kind of an answer she would receive.

* * *

As the hours rushed past, the pink haired girl couldn't believe how utterly boring the Akatsuki was. Itachi and Kisame couldn't possibly be the only people here, right? Sakura sighed; maybe she'd add that to her list of unanswered questions. 

It wasn't until quite a while later that Sakura finally realized her torso had been wrapped in heavy bandaging. As she began to pick at it and try to get it off, something stopped her—Itachi's voice was flooding throughout the room.

"You may want to wait to do that." He said coolly.

His voice seemed to fill the entire room, as if everything in it were a part of his being. Sakura looked up, spotting that he was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall next to the cell door. His cloak was open and Sakura saw a mesh shirt underneath it. Again, she found herself staring, looking at the way his loose dark hair framed his face, and the part held in his ponytail swept over his back. He was pale, handsome. So much like Sasuke it irked her…but so different too. It was like looking at a double-sided coin and finding something you hadn't expected.

Itachi's Sharingan were different, though. They held a certain sense of femininity about them, their deep color matching the 'sometimes-clouds' on his cloak. His eyelashes seemed long too, longer than Sasuke's, or any other man's, for that matter. His thin, yet muscular frame looked so fragile as it was slouched against that wall. He looked younger; and actually, if you ignored the lines on either side of his face, he didn't seem all that old.

"Kunoichi,"

Sakura's eyes darted to his face quickly, her cheeks flushing at having been caught. She really hadn't meant to stare again…and you couldn't blame her.

"…I'm sorry." Sakura said. She felt it necessary, being the kind of person she was. Besides, her actions represented Konoha; the least she could do was act politely.

Itachi ignored her apology.

"You should wait a few hours before unwrapping that." He said, his crimson gaze focused on her torso. If Sakura hadn't known better, she might have thought he was looking at more than just the bandages…

With his presence no longer needed, Itachi stood up and took a few measured steps to the door, his back to Sakura. But he stopped short, for some reason.

"Seven o'clock, Kunoichi." He said, his voice just above a whisper.

Sakura wondered what he meant, but as if reading her mind, he continued. "We need to discuss the details of this arraignment. If you are late, I will send Kisame for you, and he shall deal with you as he sees fit."

_Of course._ How could she not have seen this coming? It'd taken long enough for it to happen…

Sakura inwardly shuddered. Maybe telling the Uchiha prodigy that she didn't exactly trust Kisame's judgment wasn't the best idea. Hell, she was sure that if Kisame were a child, he'd run around changing all of the clocks' times for an excuse to beat her. If Itachi hadn't still been standing there, she would have laughed. But when she looked up again, she saw that he was already gone.

'Fast…' she thought.

* * *

_Everyone was leaving him. _Sasuke had been the first to go, and now Sakura was gone too. But…he still didn't know just how she had been captured. His old sempai obviously knew something about it, as his attention always turned to something else whenever the subject of Sakura was brought up. Maybe Kakashi had seen something he hadn't? He doubted it, but there was no other explanation. 

Naruto sighed as he shoved varied weapons into his leg holster. Being a ninja just wasn't as fun as it used to be…but things would get better. When he became Hokage, they would. _Definitely._

Naruto looked up when he heard soft tapping on his window. It was Kakashi, who seemed to visit him a lot now. The blonde stood up and went to unlatch the window, stepping aside as Kakashi's eyes curved into a fake upward smile and he jumped in.

"Sensei," The blonde sighed quietly.

"Hm?" Kakashi asked.

"Nothing." Naruto said.

The silver haired Jounin raised his visible eyebrow before glancing out the window again. "Lets go for sake," He offered.

Now it was Naruto's turn to raise an eyebrow. Kakashi _never_ offered things like this unless he thought he could get something from it in return. That was just the way his sensei was.

Naruto nodded slowly, at the same time wondering what kind of trick he was playing into this time. He grabbed his coat (not that he needed it), and then leaped out the window, knowing Kakashi would follow.

When the pair of them got to the nearest bar, Kakashi ordered the first round of drinks, which was extremely unusual. When he handed a glass to Naruto, his student eyed it wearily.

"There's nothing in that drink, Naruto." Kakashi assured him.

Naruto nodded and took a sip. Indeed, there didn't appear to be anything out of the ordinary in it. It was just the classics this time.

"So uh, Sensei…" Naruto began, "How come you dragged me here?"

"Dragged? I prefer the term 'convinced', myself." Kakashi said, taking a drink of his sake too.

"Yeah, but…that's not what I meant!" Naruto said.

Funny…when Naruto was a Genin, the thought of being corrected could start the biggest fight ever. Why? Because he had been stubborn when he was younger. Kakashi shrugged; maybe Naruto had grown.

"There's something important I'd like to discuss with you, Naruto. So relax, and have a few more drinks." He knew he'd have to pay for this later, but it would probably be best for Naruto to hear what was coming next if he was drunk.

Naruto still eyed his drink wearily, but was less suspicious than before. Nodding, he finished off his sake in one big gulp. "Can I get more?" He asked. It was like when he went for ramen with Iruka, only it left you with a hangover instead of a full stomach.

Kakashi ordered for him, yet again. Now he was beginning to freak out a little…was Kakashi gay? Oh no! He had to be! Why else would he offer him sake and say there was something important he needed to tell him!

"SesneiIHaveToGoNowThanks." Naruto said in one breath. He rose from his seat, but Kakashi pulled him down again.

"Relax, have a few more drinks." Kakashi said again.

Naruto gave a half smile and nodded his head slowly. "S-sure."

When Naruto was plenty intoxicated, Kakashi figured the time was right. He took a deep breath and then looked at the drunken student before him. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Naruto," He began quietly, "Please don't take this too hard."

The inebriated Naruto looked up from his drink. How many had he hah, again? Oh well; enough to earn him a very unpleasant headache in the morning.

"Yyyyyeah, surrre." The blonde slurred.

Kakashi took a deep sigh before continuing. "The title 'Team Seven' has been sent back into circulation." He said, looking down at the table.

"Huhhhhh?"

Kakashi shook his head. At least it was best this way, with Naruto too drunk to understand. Lets just say the silver haired Jounin was never the best with handling situations like this, or complicated things like _feelings_.

"With the coming year, three of the new Genin at the academy will be placed into team seven, Naruto."

"Wha? Thatsss great! Five more memberrrs."

Kakashi closed his eyes, although only one was visible. "No," He said. Honestly, this was like trying to teach a cat to read. Naruto just didn't understand… But, realization did dawn on his face, eventually.

"WHAT THE HELLLLLLLLLLL?" He yelled.

"Naruto, we are no longer team seven." Kakashi sighed.

Naruto's face held a faraway look now. "_Why_ did the monkeyy steaal my candy?"

"Sasuke left a long time ago, and Sakura's been declared a missing nin now too, until we find her. With me doing missions all the time now too, and you joining ANBU…"

Naruto snapped back to attention before shaking his head from side to side furiously. "NoNoNoNoNoNoNoNo!" He yelled, causing several people to turn and stare.

"Naruto, calm down." Kakashi tried.

Naruto kept yelling until his face went blank and sank down to meet the table. Seventeen shots of sake was just too much for the guy, not to mention all of the rum.

* * *

As seven o'clock finally seemed to roll around, it seemed Sakura was having a little bit of difficulty dragging herself out of bed and getting dressed, but she managed. 

She slipped into the black cap sleeve shirt that had been provided, and some black pants that seemed to fit rather loosely. They were probably Itachi's, Sakura thought as she mentally cringed.

She pulled on her regular black boots, the ones that she was wearing when she 'arrived'. After tying her hair up into a quick ponytail, she groaned and walked out of the room.

She didn't even know where she was supposed to go yet, and the thought of ripping those bandages off now was just _begging_ her at the back of her mind. They were starting to itch…

She found Kisame after only a few steps, and again he appeared to be angry about something.

"Kis...Kisame?" The pink haired girl asked.

The large, gray shark-like man let out a low, gravelly growl and began to walk away, expecting her to follow.

'He looks funny when he walks…' Sakura mused silently. Kisame growled again, as if on cue.

Sakura stopped when she felt a thud noise in front of her. She had bumped into Kisame as he stopped…bad idea. The shark spun his head around, glaring. Oh how he itched for Samehada right now…

"S…sorry." Why did she always stutter when in his presence? Oh yeah, he was a giant monster. _That's right._ Duh.

Apparently satisfied with her weak apology for now, Kisame shrugged and opened the door in front of them, knowing he would have more than just payback in store for that little bitch later. During _training_.

Sakura looked around curiously when they walked inside. This room, was much more high-class than the others. Red carpeting, velvet curtains, regal oak chairs and table…the works. And with Itachi completing this picture she had just walked into, it was perfect.

The mighty Uchiha sat in the largest chair, the one at the head of the table. However, his eyes were closed and his head tilted in the direction of his lap. Was he asleep? Kisame 'nudged' (Okay, pushed) Sakura forward, causing her to stumble closer to the table.

"Leave us," The Uchiha's cool voice instructed. Well, maybe he was awake now.

Kisame growled and left the room, but the action was more so directed at Sakura than it was at his superior.

Itachi opened his crimson eyes, focusing their gaze on one of the chairs near him. Someone had prepared food, which consisted of what appeared to be steak, sliced apples, and something in very tall drink glasses. The steak was most likely take-out from somewhere, as Sakura doubted anyone in the Akatsuki actually cooked.

Sakura nervously took a seat and looked up at him.

"Kunoichi,"

"It's Sakura." She interrupted.

"I apologize. Sakura then, have you taken the bandaging off yet?" The dark haired one asked, tilting his head so slightly she almost hadn't seen it.

"No…why? What's under it?" Sakura asked, even more nervous now.

"A tracking device of the sort," He paused, seeing the skeptical look on the female's face. "Forgive me if I don't trust you, Sakura-san."

"What? But, how? Nevermind that…why can't you trust me? Its not like I'm going to run away. I mean…not with Kisame and his big flashy fishy sword thing!" She exclaimed.

Itachi seemed amused by her, judging by the smirk on his face. "While it may be true that we are both wanted ninja, you are not of the Akatsuki."

"Missing. Nin. How?" Sakura gasped, unconsciously grabbing her chest.

Itachi's smirk spread more widely. "How long do you think you've been gone, Sakura-san?" He asked coolly.

Of course…after six days, one is officially labeled as a deserter to their village. "So I'm…wow." Sakura said quietly, suddenly finding the table very interesting.

"There are rules," Itachi continued.

Sakura looked up again. "What?"

"Rules, Sakura. You are not permitted to go into any closed doors, and you are to wear the Akatsuki cloak at all times."

"Why...with the cloak?" Sakura asked.

"We don't like traitors." He said, putting it simply.

"So…you'd kill anyone not wearing a cloak? Without any hesitation at all!" She asked, raising her voice slightly.

"Yes,"

Sakura's eyes narrowed as one of Itachi's hands reached into his own cloak. Was he grabbing for a weapon? No…he pulled out something shiny. Metal. It gleamed when it caught the light, and Sakura was sure that she saw the Konoha symbol on it, scratched through.

"Whose is…" She began.

Itachi held it so she could see better, and then slipped it across the table to her.

"Kuso…whose is it?" She demanded, thinking of her friends.

The Uchiha's face remained impassive. "Its yours."

"Mine? Why did you…what did…" She was having trouble finding words.

"It's a symbol." Sakura stared at the Hitai-ate as he said this.

'Mine…' She thought.

"Why not do that sooner? Its what you want, to have control, isn't it?" She asked, just as coolly as he.

"I was busy." He said, smirking.

"Busy with…damn it, what did you do!" She yelled.

"You can't expect me to sit back and relax while the best tracker in your pathetic village is on my trail, Sakura-san." He said, smirking again.

Sakura wanted to wipe that stupid smirk off of his face. She stood from her chair, it landing with a thud behind her. She wasn't entirely sure what happened next, but her fist connected with the wall where Itachi's face should have been. Her eyes widened as some of the paint began to chip away in the spot she had hit.

…But where did Itachi go? Her right arm was being pulled behind her, twisting as the Uchiha turned it. Sakura winced.

"Let _go_," She warned venomously.

"I hadn't been planning on killing anyone today." Sakura felt her other arm being twisted now too, but his grip on her was gentle.

She kicked backwards with one of her legs, aiming for his shins, but the kick never landed. Instead, she was flipped around so she was facing him now, her back pressed against the wall. His face was too close… His arms boxed her in on either side.

"You're a murderer." Sakura said coldly, hoping to break him down. Uh, yeah right.

"Aren't we all?" Itachi asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sakura was at a loss for words, until she saw that blood again, raining down from the darkness. It made another trail for her to follow, but where it led, she never got to find out.

* * *

**(A/N) **Its official…I'm a lost cause. Sigh…I think I'm getting better at least. More of Itachi in this one, but I think I may have gone a little bit OOC for him. When I was finished, I went back and added in Kakashi and Naruto, just for length's cause. 

Anyway, please drop a review if you've got the time, and I'm sorry this one took so long.

Oh yeah. Like Itachi said, underneath the bandages is a tracking device of 'some sort', but I'd rather not say anything else about it until the next chapter, because...well...why don't we /all/ be surprised? xD

-Love Kad


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